After defeating the Dodgers in the NLCS, the Phils finally get a chance to become legends in the city of brotherly love.  Since their last World Series appearance in 1993, the Flyers, Sixers and Eagles have all failed at reaching the pinnacle of their sport, and it seems fitting that the Phightins get the next chance at redemption.

This team has sailed through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and they have the best bullpen (including Lights Out Lidge) in the game.  Not to mention a different unsung hero seems to step up each night.  Oh yea, and we have Cole Hamels – arguably the best pitcher in the playoffs right now.

Yes, I have unabashed optimism about the final step in this journey, and I think it’s warranted.  This team has had the same demeanor, night in and night out, regardless of whether they are winning or losing.  They pick each other up in key situations.  Think about this – Shane Victorino had the same number of RBI’s as Rollins, Utley and Howard combined.  Brett Myers had more RBI’s than Ryan Howard for that matter!

While I give a ton of credit to the players, I have to acknowledge Charlie Manuel and GM Pat Gillick.  Manuel is a ‘players coach’, and that has showed in the post season.  He knows his players strengths and weaknesses, and he knows how to get the most out of them in all situations.  Having recently lost his mother, Charlie has stated that her last words to him were that he’s going to win it all this year.  Maybe it’s destiny, who knows.

Pat Gillick has been the quiet force behind this team.  He was criticized quite a bit throughout the year for moves he didn’t make, such as making a stronger effort for a #1 pitcher like C.C. Sabathia before the trade deadline.  But in the end, a move like that would have cost them a guy like Victorino or Werth, who have proved to be valuable commodities in the playoffs.

Now his moves of going after Joe Blanton and getting a PH like Matt Stairs look genius.  I give Gillick credit, though, because he gave a lot of praise to Ed Wade (who was hated in Philly) for putting together the nucleus of the team.  And he’s right, players still here from Wade’s tenure include Rollins, Burrell, Madson, Myers, Utley, Howard and Hamels.  His problem was that he couldn’t put together the role players to make this team a consistent playoff contender.  But alas, the young core has matured into a group of winners led by the elders – Jamie Moyer, Jimmy Rollins and Pat Burrell.

You could tell in the post game interviews that they were proud of what they had accomplished, but there is still work to be done.  They have one step to go, they will have Hamels well rested for Game 1, and they only need to win 4 out of the next 7 games to turn the most losing franchise in sports into the most loved franchise in Philadelphia.

Bring it on, Tampa.

I plan to create a blog and forum that will give all fans of the NFL (myself included) the platform to interact with each other and discuss the hot topics of our favorite sport.  The site will consist of blog entries for all 32 NFL teams along with fantasy insight and draft coverage/analysis.

What’s my motivation?  Well, after perusing the inter-web for good information on the NFL, I noticed three types of deficiencies with the websites I frequented:

• Generic Site A – Great content, but it’s an organizational mess.  Not to mention the aesthetics are less than stunning.  While I agree with the ‘content is king’ theory, I also think content is meaningless if it’s not easily accessible.
• Generic Site B – I think I’ve hit the jackpot from first sight.  The presentation is pleasing, the navigation is simple.  So here we go, let’s read some blogs!  Oh, wait, the last update was 2005.  Great, thanks.
• Generic Site C – “Fantasy studs this week – 1) Peyton Manning, 2) LaDainian Tomlinson… join here for $39.99/month for full access to our projections!”  Umm, no.

Enter the blogosphere.  Where real people talk to real people.  Come by, find what you want, take a look around, converse with your fellow fans… for free… as it should be.  Isn’t it refreshing?

With that said, let me clearly state, I am not affiliated with the NFL, nor am I a journalist – just a tech-savvy football enthusiast since the day I was born (OK, maybe I couldn’t spot holding on the O-Line when I was in the crib, but you get the idea).  You can expect my random thoughts and opinions along with the information in each blog entry.  Don’t agree with what I say?  Exercise your 1st Amendment rights and comment my articles or use the forum to let your voice be heard!

If you have any suggestions on how I can improve the site, or general feedback, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thanks, and I’ll see you all very soon